卷一·第十一章　论至点、分点、固定与双体星座

After the explanation of these matters the next subject to be added would be the natural characters of the zodiacal signs themselves, as they have been handed down by tradition. For although their more general temperaments are each analogous to the seasons that take place in them, certain peculiar qualities of theirs arise from their kinship to the sun, moon, and planets, as we shall relate in what follows, putting first the unmingled powers of the signs themselves alone, regarded both absolutely and relatively to one another.

解释了这些事情之后，接下来要补充的题目，是照传统所传下来的黄道星座本身的自然特性。因为它们较为概括的气质，虽然各自与发生在其中的季节相类似，但它们的某些特有性质，却来自它们与太阳、月亮和诸行星的亲缘，这一点我们将在下文叙述；先讲星座本身单纯而未经混合的力，既就其自身而论，也就它们彼此之间的关系而论。

The first distinctions, then, are of the so‑called solstitial, equinoctial, solid, and bicorporeal signs. For there are two solstitial signs, the first interval of 30° from the summer solstice, the sign of Cancer, and the first from the winter solstice, Capricorn; and they have received their name from what takes place in them. For the sun turns when he is at the beginning of these signs and reverses his latitudinal progress, causing summer in Cancer and winter in Capricorn.

那么，最初的区分，是所谓至点、分点、固定与双体星座。至点星座有两个：从夏至起的第一个三十度区间，即巨蟹；从冬至起的第一个区间，即摩羯；它们的名称来自在其中发生的事。因为太阳到这两座的起点时便回转，使它在纬度上的行进反向，在巨蟹造成夏季，在摩羯造成冬季。

Two signs are called equinoctial, the one which is first from the spring equinox, Aries, and the one which begins with the autumnal equinox, Libra; and they too again are named from what happens there, because when the sun is at the beginning of these signs he makes the nights exactly equal to the days.

有两个星座称为分点星座：一个是从春分起的第一座，即白羊；一个是从秋分开始的那一座，即天秤；它们同样是因在那里发生的事而得名，因为太阳到这两座的起点时，使黑夜与白昼恰好等长。

Of the remaining eight signs four are called solid and four bicorporeal. The solid signs, Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius, are those which follow the solstitial and equinoctial signs; and they are so called because when the sun is in them the moisture, heat, dryness, and cold of the seasons that begin in the preceding signs touch us more firmly, not that the weather is naturally any more intemperate at that time, but that we are by then inured to them and for that reason are more sensible of their power.

其余八个星座，四个称为固定星座，四个称为双体星座。固定星座，即金牛、狮子、天蝎、水瓶，是紧接在至点与分点星座之后的那几座；它们之所以这样称呼，是因为太阳在其中时，始于前一座的那一季的湿、热、燥、冷，更牢固地触及我们——并不是那时天气天然就更不调和，而是我们那时已经久经其中，因此对它们的力更有感受。

The bicorporeal signs, Gemini, Virgo, Sagittarius, and Pisces, are those which follow the solid signs, and are so called because they are between the solid and the solstitial and equinoctial signs and share, as it were, at end and beginning, the natural properties of the two states of weather.

双体星座，即双子、处女、射手、双鱼，是紧接在固定星座之后的那几座；它们之所以这样称呼，是因为它们介于固定星座与至点、分点星座之间，仿佛在末尾与开端，兼有两种天气状态的自然特性。